So you guyz already know what this is all about! Yeah! Watched 2 movies tonite! “Rang De Basanti” and “Main Meri Patni Aur Woh“. Both the movies were drastically varied in many ways, but yet provided quite a wholesome entertainment! And here I am, providing a review of both, as per my tastes, and interests!
Rang De Basanti :- The story of the young generation that is awakened to the condition of the country by embarking on a journey through the history of freedom struggle, sounded extremely promising! Indeed the first half kept the spirits alive, only to be hastily put down by the second! Disappointing? To a certain extent.. yes! Was it the hype the media created? Or was it the way the first half of the movie portrays itself to be? Or is it something that my personal perception is finding hard to digest? I dunno! I felt that the movie did not do justice to what otherwise was an excellent story line!
Ups of the movie :- The par excellence acting by all the actors! The music scored by A R Rahman, the beautiful locales chosen for the picturization, and the innovativeness of the idea. The portrayal of the gradual change in the outlook of the main characters has been well handled, not to mention the interleaved sequences of the freedom struggle. All the main characters have excelled in their performances. Soha Ali khan has given a wonderful performance considering this to be her first movie!
Downs of the movie :- The dramatization of the events, which is far from truth, even in the present India! That the goverment would storm the Akashvani building with Black commandos to kill the college students, who are on air confessing their crimes and exposing the reasons behind it is quite hard to digest, let alone the portrayal of the police beating up a peaceful candle light vigilance. Ace actors and actresses like Waheeda Rehman, Kiron Kher, Anupam Kher and Om puri are wasted in very small roles! Though, they have all rendered their roles wonderfully well, there could have been more room provided for those characters! The parallel drawn between the main characters and the freedom fighters too seemed a tad over cooked! To say that they were influenced by them, is one thing! But then to compare their acts with the freedom struggle did not really seem convincing! With all due respects to his acting prowess, Aamir seemed out of the group amidst all the young actors!
Overall view :- I’d certainly recommend everyone to watch this movie. It is fresh as far as its idea is concerned. But I would not recommend high expectations on this. Sit back and relax, and do give a thought to the ideas portrayed. To that extent of getting the viewers mind to think on the story and thus about the condition of the nation, this movie indeed has been successful. Rating:- 8.5/10.
Main Meri Patni Aur Woh :- In a period where Bollywood relies very heavily on a studded star cast, exuberant settings, posh locales, and loaded concepts, here comes a movie that is down to earth in the literal sense – A less known star cast, a very simple, and normal story line, and highly simplistic portrayal of the same. Yet, it wins over you instantly. Though I must say at this point that this movie ran into controversy – accused of being a remake of a Malayalam movie – “Vadakkunokkiyanthram”. The same concept was also used in a kannada movie, “nanna hendati cennagiddale” (literally translated means, “My wife is beautiful”). So controversies apart, the story is about a middle class guy Mithilesh Shukla(Rajpal Yadav) known popularly as Chote babu, who, as fate would have marries Veena (Rituparna Sengupta). His wife is well educated, from a higher economic class, and above all extremely beautiful! Her beauty only adds to the woes of Mithilesh, who starts eyeing every person around him suspiciously and hence tries hard to keep them away from his wife. Enter the erstwhile friend of Veena, Akash (Kay Kay), and all hell breaks lose! Akash is better than Mithilesh in all respects, and what more! He is creative too! Well then there is the brewing misunderstanding, and then the cloud clears, and before long, its the usual happy ending that we all look forward to! The movie is extremely promising, and is very hearty. The emotional scenes are very short lived, and deftly handled. The movie is extremely smooth in its flow, and will leave the viewer smiling for a long time to come. Ups of the Movie :- Absolutely superb acting by Rajpal Yadav and Rituparna, excellent direction, well handled story line, melodious and lilting songs. It is a tragedy that in the glitz and glamour of Bollywood the true talents like that of Rajpal Yadav, and the director Chandan Arora (who also directed “Main Madhuri Dixit Ban na chahti hoon“) are over shadowed! I would not be surprised if this movie is not nominated for any awards or even if it is, it may fail to rake any! That is just how superficial and hollow the industry has become. To praise the acting of Rajpal yadav would be an arduous task, as all the adjectives that one may use will seem hackneyed, and I am not able to coin new terms as of yet! He acts as naturally as he breathes! The song “Aaj maine dil se” remains echoing in the heart long after the movie has ended! The movie is extremely easy on the mind and heart of the viewer and maintains its lightness all through to the ending! It would be a crime to miss out on such a beautiful movie.
Downs of the Movie :- I really can’t think of any as of now, except that this movie is a Bollywood movie! In that, as I already mentioned, it will fail to receive the due appreciation and accolades it so richly deserves.
Overall Rating :-10/10. Again, Don’t miss this!
9 comments
Skip to comment form
Praveen!
I too watched RDB last evening. I liked the movie. It was worth watching. Honestly speaking, I couldnt talk or be myself for like half an hour after the movie ended. I just wished my friend goodbye and came home. My mind was filled with the thoughts that spawned during the movie.
It reminded me of “Bruce Almighty”. RDB and Bruce Almighty were the two movies in the recent past that made me think too much about it.
After watching “BA” I relaised the one needs to “BE the Miracle” and not wait for it to happen.
After watching this, I relaised that “One needs to be the Change” and not wait for the Change to happen.
I know these are not something new, but these movies made me realise that!
@Kishan: Yeah dude. I have watched BA too. It was a nice movie. It did have some thoughtful moments thrown in between. RDB certainly is a good movie. While I do concur with that “one needs to be the change” – I do not think the movie did effectively portray it. I still feel that the movie did not do complete justice to the novel idea that it otherwise portrayed. But then, it still is a very nice movie :).
I have often heard the criticism about RDB that it shouldn’t be comparing the gang’s struggle against corruption to the freedom fight and I completly disagree. I personally have felt overwhelmed by corruption without having “directly” felt its impact. And I think our generation very badly underestimates its effect. Fighting corruption, even in the smallest way possible, takes a lot of effort, especially when it is so easy to “learn to live with it” and I don’t think it is any less of a fight than the freedom struggle. It is easier to fight an enemy when we can picture him as being different from us than when the enemy is within us.
@ anon:- I totally agree with the statement that corruption must be fought against. It is true that fighting someone our own is even harder than someone alien! But my point of grouse would be that the movie depicted it more on an emotional front and hence does not prove convincing enough. I find their decisions emotional and impulsive than the meticulous, and serious considerations that went behind the freedom struggle. Which is why I said, that the idea though very novel and highly commendable, could have been dealt with well. Will look forward for your response.
*me* watched RDB
*First Day*
*First Show*
*First Row*
(this is what my friend was saying that day: “we are sitting so close that I can smell his arm pits from the screen)
awesome movie myan!
Yes the actions were impetuous. But then who did they have to guide them? Anyone to look up to? And it wasn’t like they had envisioned this scenario. The freedom struggle had been going on for a long time, so it was but natural that they would be more meticulous. Again even though they were meticulous in their planning a lot of people didn’t agree with what they (Bhagat Singh et al.)had done. And weren’t emotions running high then too?
The disagreement was in the methodologies that the extremists had wanted to use, which even the leaders knew that on a longer run would prove detrimental to the society. As you said, in the case of the characters in the movie, that they had none to look up to or guide, that was reason enough for them to not rush into the matter, but have a more calculated approach to exposing the Govt’s dirty hands. But then, I do realize that the characters were not so! And that is why I feel that the movie is disappointing.
Ok.
Alternative Plot: Guys figure out how to expose the Government’s misdeeds. Let’s say they do it the ‘Tehelka’ style.
Impact on Audience (in the theatre): “Atta Boys! U rock! Give it to them! Teach them!”
Out of the theatre: “Awesome movie man! I loved the way they used their brains and the media to expose our corrupt ministers. These politicians I say…. blah blah blah”
2 days later: “Dude… I’m bored… Let’s watch Udita strip” 🙂
The point being… the characterization of the boys was necessary for the movie to leave an impact. These are boys who make a complete turnaround from being absolutely nonchalant to taking on the govt. (in their own way). The movie’s message is that you need to be aware and proactive… closing your eyes to something won’t make it go away. And I can’t think of any better way of putting it accross. But then that’s just me. 🙂
Hehehe.. yeah.. the alternate sounds impressive. And yeah, maybe the reaction would’ve been the same too. I did mention that in getting one to think about the nation and its present situation the movie indeed has been successful. The whole plot of the youth awakening is indeed charming and worthwhile. But then, still there is all the possibility that even after this, the reaction may still revert back to Udita or Meghana’s Strips! I dunno what is needed to leave a permanent impact, or if at all there can be a permanent impact. As far as the movie is concerned, it is still good no matter the shortcomings that I see, or don’t see and absolutely worth watching! What say you? 😉